Northern Ireland’s construction sector is showing the first firm signs of stabilisation after a prolonged downturn. The latest RICS construction monitor, reported by the Irish News on 5 November 2026, shows a net balance of 6% of surveyors reporting falling workloads in the third quarter, an improvement on the 23% decline in the previous survey and the least negative reading since early 2025. For C-suite leaders across the island, the direction of travel matters as much as the level.

The survey rewards close reading. Infrastructure and other public works were the only areas to record growth, which points to a market rotating toward publicly funded delivery. Three themes frame the opportunity: the strength of infrastructure activity, the persistent drag from private housebuilding, and the skills constraint that will shape how quickly firms can respond.

Infrastructure recorded a net balance of 10% and other public works 7%, the only positive readings in the monitor. Public housing was broadly flat, while private housebuilding contracted, with a net balance of 7% reporting lower workloads. In the Republic, the AIB Construction PMI held at 50.7 in August, with commercial work the only sub-sector growing and civil engineering broadly unchanged, a reminder that recovery is uneven on both sides of the border.

Sentiment is improving cautiously. Some 11% of surveyors expect workloads to rise over the next 12 months, up from 8% previously, though profit margins are expected to stay flat for a second consecutive quarter. Brian Reid, chair of the RICS NI regional board, said conditions remain challenging but the figures point to modest improvement. The CEF’s recent survey, in which 45% of firms cited inflation as a financial concern, explains why margins remain the sensitive point.

Skills remain the binding constraint. The monitor identifies shortages among construction professionals, bricklayers and quantity surveyors, and Reid highlighted the difficulty of attracting early-career entrants. CITB NI’s Construction Workforce Outlook projects that Northern Ireland needs 5,200 additional workers between 2026 and 2030. In the Republic, where the CSO recorded 10,154 completions in the third quarter, the same capacity question applies.

Leaders should act on three fronts. Construction companies should position for infrastructure projects now, strengthening estimating, pre-qualification and joint-venture capability. Boards should protect margins with escalation provisions in all new contracts. Firms should also invest in early-career recruitment, partnering with schools and training bodies such as CITB NI, whose Build Your Career and Adopt a School programmes are already available.

Northern Ireland’s construction sector is not yet growing, but it has stopped falling as fast, and infrastructure is leading the way. Organisations that invest in skills, protect margins and position early for public works will be best placed to lead when the recovery broadens, north and south.